FA chairman Greg Dyke should speak to former players, such as David Unsworth, to realise his England vision

Greg Dyke, the Football Association chairman, is inviting many people to his
much-discussed new Commission into England's long-term malaise and one who
should be high on the guest list is David Unsworth.

Own goal? England fans hold a banner referencing FA chairman Greg Dyke before England's Group H World Cup Qualifying match at Wembley. The time has now surely come for the FA to call on the expertise of former playersPhoto: PA

Unsworth is an FA Cup winner with Everton, a former England international and current Pro Licence holder who talks powerfully on the strengths and flaws of English football from youth to coach development, tactics to man-management.

Unsworth even sat down with Paul Gascoigne, England’s most gifted footballer over the past three decades, to try to curb his refuelling problem.

Dyke’s organisation has often been criticised for a perceived reluctance or tardiness in calling upon the expertise and experience of those who played the game.

Unsworth, 39, is actually spending a week dispensing advice to one appreciative association – the Scottish FA at their Largs coaching hub.

The FA is missing out. As becomes clear over an hour’s coffee in Ormskirk last week, Unsworth has so much to offer in ideas and enthusiasm.

As a defender, Unsworth learned from many managers. He saw how David Moyes demanded utter commitment in training as well as match-day to ensure “peak performance” at Everton.

He enjoyed the “man-management” skills of Harry Redknapp, who signed him for West Ham and Portsmouth.

He respected Joe Royle’s “in-depth knowledge of each player”, Terry Venables’ “high-intensity coaching” with England and Howard Kendall’s “aura” that made him “approachable yet authoritative”.

After facing Dutch sides in Europe, and subsequently studying them, Unsworth admired “the emphasis on 'Total football’, with players training in multiple positions to increase their skill set and adaptability’’.

Aspiring professionals “were taught to become footballers” rather than shoehorned into one position.

“The difference this made was remarkable, and obvious on the pitch, where defenders were far more comfortable on the ball than in England,’’ explained Unsworth, who has written an eight-page “management philosophy” document to accompany his CV as he searches for employment after spells coaching at Burnley, Preston North End and Sheffield United.

He intersperses his views on the game with insight into his career. Unsworth had an eventful summer in ’95, winning the Cup before the “whole club, and about 5,000 Evertonians, went off to Spain’’ to celebrate.

Unsworth was unwinding in his hotel room when Royle phoned, telling him Venables had been on, calling up the centre-half for the Umbro Cup.

“A gallon of water later and I was on a flight back to Gatwick, my dad picked me up and took me to Burnham Beeches.

A few early nights and a few more gallons of water and I was ready. Venables was a very good coach. England was a great experience.”

All that experience. Unsworth has played internationally and also in the Uefa Cup. When tackling Italian and Spanish sides, Unsworth valued highly their “abundance” of “technical skills”, adding that “it was obvious they had all been effectively coached from a young age, and were rewarded for their football talent, rather than their athletic ability.

“For several years now English football has been considered in the dark ages, light years behind not only the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, but also France, Brazil, Argentina, and many more countries, in the way in which coaching is implemented amongst young players.”

The FA needs more coaches, better coaches, working at grass-roots, in Academies, producing the sort of players who can beat a foreign counterpart in the fight to a first-team place.

Unsworth loves coaching, having first been inspired by Walter Smith and Archie Knox and then Moyes and Alan Irvine.

“The perception of David at Everton was that he was cautious but I didn’t get that impression,” recalled Unsworth.

“He’d always bang the drum about 'winning’. Bill Kenwright (Everton’s chairman) said when he interviewed David that he said 'winning’ 40-odd times in the space of half-an-hour.

“David’s football daft. He’d be at Bellefield (the old training ground) at nine in the evening, and go to a game every night if there was a game.

"David was phenomenal, the best coach I’ve worked with. Everything in training was relevant, geared towards the game. David would always take the defenders.

“He loved clean sheets. David had two or three fitness coaches in the space of a year. If he didn’t like them they were out. His detail of fitness work – body fat, strength work and diet – was more than any other manager I had.

"David and Alan were mad on Pro Zone, on detail. David would talk us through what we’d done well and what we’d done badly. He’d be critical in the right way.

“With David, it wasn’t 'my way is the only way’. He had an aura about him that you knew if he lost it he meant business, but there was no throwing tea cups.

"He’s a family guy, compassionate. When a couple of family things happened to a few of the players you saw that compassion in him.

“He’s very humble, no ego. The biggest thing for British coaches is David getting the Manchester United job. Every British coach is hoping he’s successful because it’s great for us. There are an awful lot of foreign coaches over here.”

Unsworth does not speak with any resentment to the incomers, simply a desire for the home-grown coach to be heard and respected. “Foreign coaches are not reinventing the wheel,” Unsworth argued.

“It seems to be accepted that foreign coaches have extra kudos because they are doing something different to us. They’re not. Their training is very similar. Their preparation is as detailed as ours.”

It should be a worry for Dyke that former England players like Unsworth have reservations about the FA coaching set-up. “St George’s Park may be great but are they great coaches inside?

I did my badges at Largs. I fell in love with the place. The people were fabulous, the coaches Donald Park and Jim Fleeting. A lot of English lads came up. David Moyes was also there. Jose Mourinho and AVB (Andre Villas-Boas) went up there.

“I’m there next week, coaching the B licence coaches. I should be doing that at St George’s Park. The FA course was too structured; all sorts of things like making sure your socks are pulled up.

"The Scottish FA are friendlier. They go out of their way to help you become better. It’s not a driving test.”

Unsworth is not alone in having doubts about the qualities (and costs) of the FA system.

Maybe he should stop off at Burton on his way south to Dyke’s Commission.

“I’d love to have a sit-down with Dan Ashworth (the FA’s director of elite development). I’ve coached young players and want to coach more.”

The FA needs to tap into such dynamism and also familiarity with the two most talented English footballers of recent times.

“When Gazza was in his prime, he’d be running at you and could go either way,” continued Unsworth.

“When he came to Everton (in 2000), even though he’d lost a yard of pace you could still give him the football in any area and he’d always take it.

“It’s just a crying shame what has happened to him now. Gazza’s a great guy and would give you his last penny and that probably cost him.

"As senior players, all that me, Duncan (Ferguson), Kevin Campbell and Alan (Stubbs) wanted to do was put him in the car and take him home and look after him, to save him from himself.

"A couple of times I went over to his hotel to have meals with him to keep him occupied. He’d get bored quickly.

“Unfortunately when we weren’t there, he’d have a drink and that would be his downfall.”

Gascoigne and Unsworth were at Everton when Rooney emerged.

“I will never forget Wayne’s first session. He came in as a 15-year-old, training with the seniors, and it was a 'wow’ moment. 'Cocky’ is the wrong word, but there was an aura about him then.

"I saw his desire. He knew he could compete at this level. He had everything: he could compete physically, run, got a trick, clever, can finish.

“Wayne’s a nice guy as well. People don’t see that side. I know he’s had his issues. I’ve been to United a couple of times to watch training. Wayne was straight over to say 'hello’, have a chat, nothing 'big time’.

"I’m an Everton fan – so is Wayne. Once a Blue always a Blue – he made that famous didn’t he? He might end up back there at the end of his career.

“It would surprise a few people if Wayne went into management but he certainly knows the game. It wouldn’t surprise me. He’s had Sir Alex (Ferguson) as a manager, now he’s got David again and that rubs off.’’

All that acquired knowledge. As he summons the suits to his Commission, Dyke should also talk to those who’ve played for England to understand better how to improve England.